1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of playing a game and spending a resulting prize, and in particular to spending a resulting prize within a predetermined time limit, or alternatively or additionally to spending a resulting prize such that the recipient has no assets to show for the expenditure of at least a proportion of the prize. Additionally, the invention provides for the provision of a game and a prize for the winning of that game, and for the monitoring of the spending of the prize within the time limit. In preferred embodiments the prize must be spent within the time limits and the recipient must have no assets to show for the spending of the prize at the end of the time limit. In other embodiments no time limit is applied, but the winner must spend at least a proportion of the prize such that after the expenditure he has no assets to show therefor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The playing of games for money prizes is well known in the art. Various different forms of games are known, such as board games, card games, or the like and in the modern age games aired on TV and radio shows. More recently, with the rise of the Internet, Internet-based games with money prizes have also become popular and in particular online card games such as poker games or the like. Various online gaming services are known, such as, for example, ParadisePoker.com™ which is an online poker service associated with the present assignees. A screen shot of the ParadisePoker.com system is shown in FIG. 1, from which it will be seen that using a computer a player is shown a graphical depiction of a card table with their cards laid thereon, as well as graphical icons representing the other players. Further description of the ParadisePoker.com system necessary for the understanding of the present invention will be undertaken later.
Typically, money prizes won by playing such games were within the preserve of the winner to decide how to spend the prize, and over what time frame. That is, typically, winners have been free to choose how to spend prize money, and upon what, and in particular have been able to purchase assets with prize money.
Historically, however, it has previously been proposed in fictional art that a recipient of an amount of money must spend that money within a certain time limit, and moreover have no assets to show for the expenditure. The concept appears to have been first proposed in George Barr McCutcheon's novel “Brewster's Millions” dating from 1902. This novel has formed the basis of at least seven film adaptations in 1914, 1921, 1926, 1935, 1945, 1961 (entitled “Three On A Spree”), and most recently starring the late actor Richard Pryor in 1985. The plot in the book and each of the films is broadly similar comprising a down at heel character “Montgomery Brewster”, who inherits a large sum of money (in the 1985 version $300 million). However, in order to obtain the inheritance Mr. Brewster must spend a substantial portion of the money within a set time limit (in the 1985 film version Mr. Brewster must spend $30 million in 30 days), and moreover have no assets to show for the expenditure. Only a small proportion of the money may be given away to charitable causes and provided that at the end of the time limit all of the money is spent Mr. Brewster receives the remainder of his inheritance.